WEBVTT BAD NEWS FOR MANY OF YOU, WHO PAY UTILITY BILLS! THEY COULD BE GOING UP. ACTION 7 NEWS REPORTER LAURA THOREN TELLS US WHAT'S AT STAKE. IF YOU USE ELECTRICITY ...OR WATER...OR ANY UTILITY FOR THAT MATTER...AND YOU LIVE IN BERNALILLO COUNTY, YOUR RATES COULD BE GOING UP! it's another way to tax people. Get a little more money out of their pockets. COUNTY COMMISSIONER WAYNE JOHNSON IS AGAINST THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE. IF PASSED... PNM AND OTHER UTILITY COMPANIES WILL BE CHARGED WHENEVER THEIR POWER LINES OR WATER PIPES ARE ON PUBLIC LAND. AND THAT COST WILL BE DIRECTLY PASSED ON TO THE CONSUMER. they're saying if you want water, if you want power, if you want sewer, you have to pay this usage fee for land that you already own as a taxpayer. but other county commissioners say this about being fair - right now people in albuquerque pay the right of way fee, why shouldn't taxpayers outside of the city? There are plenty of people who are not Comcast customers, plenty of people who are not century link customers BUT COMMISSIONER MAGGIE HART STEBBINS SAYS TAXPAYERS IN ALBUQUERQUE ARE PAYING FOR ALL THE REPAIR WORK AND ROAD MAINTENANCE WHENEVER THOSE PRIVATE COMPANIES USE PUBLIC LAND....AND SHE WANTS TO EVEN THE PLAYING FIELD, THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. we are not looking to make money off of this JOHNSON HAS A DIFFERENT RESPONSE TO THE IDEA would say this is just another revenue stream for the county and we shouldn't be doing it! IN ALBUQUERQUE LAURA THOREN KOAT ACTION 7 NEWS. A SPOKESPERSON FOR P-N-M TELLS ACTION 7 NEWS, P-N-M AND A GROUP OF LOCAL UTILITIES BELIEVE, BECAUSE OF A NEW MEXICO STATUTE... IT'S ILLEGAL FOR THE COUNTY TO CHARGE THESE KINDS OF FEES. A WOMAN, WHO POLICE SAY WAS